Psalms 119:57-63
1 - Be committed to God.
2 - Be self aware.
3 - Never procrastinate.
4 - Always be thankful.
5 - Choose wise friends.
GOALS 101
January 2, 2019 • Benham Brothers
A dream written down is a goal.
A goal broken down is a plan.
A plan acted upon leads to profit (Proverbs 16:9).
You cannot accomplish your goals apart from discipline and diligence.
You cannot maintain discipline without knowing WHY you have the goal in the first place.
Seven Keys to creating goals:
1) Establish Long Term and Short Term Goals - a long term goal is what you want to accomplish or become in 5 years, 10 years, lifetime. Short term goals are the ones that are measurable and include more of your day-to-day activities.
2) KISS - keep it simple stupid! When you start thinking of all the things you want to accomplish you'll end up writing a book. Refine this down to one or two points for each category.
3) Categorize - you can split them up however you want. Financial, Personal, Business, Spiritual, etc (you can have one or two sub-categories under these as well). It doesn't matter what categories you use - just do something that helps you keep track.
4) Write them down - that's what your Memo App is for! Put it on your PDA and carry them with you everywhere.
5) Measure them - every quarter take inventory and then write a date beside the ones you've accomplished. You have to put goals that can be measured - don't just put "Become a better husband." Instead, put "One date night a week" or something like that.
6) Refine - take inventory to see if you need to change a goal. There's nothing wrong with that. We plan our way but God determines our course, so sometimes you'll end up on a different course which makes your previous goal moot.
7) Pray over them daily - at the bottom of my goals list I put Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit your way to the Lord and your plans will succeed." The beauty of this is that when you're walking with the Lord He will give you the plans He wants you to follow - so just make a plan and stick to it. He'll change them when/if He sees fit. Either way, your/His plans will succeed.
A Selfish Leader
January 18, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* These leaders show us what the phrase “blinded by selfishness” is all about.
* They show us how stupid people can be when they’re led by selfish desires.
* They were leaders, which meant they were considered wise by the people.
* The minute they thought about what they wanted to “get” instead of “give” guess who it affected?
* The whole city!!!!! All the men died.
* Pay attention to the first thought that crosses your mind when you have to make a decision.
* This will show you if you’re a selfish leader.
* When you’re a selfish leader:
* Opportunities become threats.
* Teammates become competitors.
* Employees become servants.
* Money becomes security.
* Your job becomes your identity.
* Family becomes a nuisance.
* Stuff becomes status.
* You ultimately become your own god.
Leadership by Emotion
April 6, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* The people grumbled against the leaders when they saw the result of the leader’s decision.
* They didn’t grumble against them before.
* Imagine if Joshua would have turned these poor-looking Gibeonites away.
* The people certainly would have grumbled against the leaders for being heartless.
* Bad leaders avoid the grumbles at the beginning but always get them in the end.
* A good leader welcomes grumbles at the beginning but rarely get them at the end.
* Good leaders never base their decision off what people think - they base their decision off what is right.
Reverent Leadership
April 2, 2015 • Benham Brothers
Moses sent out spies, but so did Joshua.
Here's the difference:
Moses sent out spies out of a lack of faith - they did it out of curiosity to see what the land looked like.
They were putting their toes in the water to see if they wanted to jump in.
They weren't in a battle-ready mindset.
Joshua sent out spies based upon faith - He was getting ready to attack Jericho and he was mapping out his attack.
They were going to jump into the water, even though they didn't know how yet (Joshua 1:2).
He wasn't going to wait for steps B-Z before he moved - he already had step A, and that was to simply GO!
Joshua was battle-ready.
This is how you can have two Christians "doing" the same thing, but one of them being motivated by fear and the other motivated by faith. You won't be able to tell the difference between the two until conflict arises. Only then will you be able to distinguish the warrior from the wimp.
This is why he only sent 2 spies - he learned that the more that went the more likely they were to fear the people of Jericho.
Joshua was going to take the place God had granted him - they were just spying out their route.
Joshua 5:15 - God shows up to Joshua and says the same thing He said to Moses - "Take your shoes off."
Essentially He was saying, "You wanna lead my people? Treat Me as Holy. Be reverent toward Me."
Good leadership is good followship - Who are you following and how are you following Him?
The test of Joshua's leadership came when God gave Him a "crazy" plan, just like He did Noah.
He told him to march around Jericho with the priests in worship to the Lord.
Out of reverence Joshua obeyed His leader and he became a great leader - the people followed.
What Makes a Leader
March 30, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* The NLT has a great translation of this verse.
* "That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses."
* Joshua had proven a faithful servant, then a faithful commander, now a faithful leader of the nation.
* This paved the way for God to do something miraculous for him.
* Two things every person will require if they want to be a leader:
* 1) Faithfulness - be faithful right where God has placed you, in all the little things.
* 2) Favor - God’s favor.
* Joshua couldn’t have parted the Jordan - only God could have done that.
Taking Dominion to Lead Well
January 8, 2013 • Benham Brothers
Gen 1:2-16
* Order first, then Dominion
* Made man and then gave charge for dominion (1:26)
Gen 2:15
* Complete the Work
Gen 3:1-6
* If you leave your place of responsibility you lose your place of authority
Gen 4 - Cain's Sacrifice
* He gave a bad sacrifice
* The sin that crouched at his door came because of his poor sacrifice
* Bad sacrifice = rejection - God couldn't accept it and thus Cain got mad
* When anger birthed in his heart murder crouched at his door
* It all hinges on what type of sacrifice you give
A Good Leader is a Good Follower
January 8, 2015 • Benham Brothers
Three times we hear Abraham saying, "Here I am."
Abraham was "all there," fully surrendered to being there for God to speak to him.
Abraham was a good dad because he was a good son.
Abraham was a good leader because he was a good follower.
He was a good dad because he was "all there" for his son - fully focused on him.
This is so difficult for men today.
When we are "all there" for God we will be "all there" for our kids.
This is the secret to being a good leader
Leading From the Heart
January 28, 2016 • Benham Brothers
• Up to this point we never see Miriam leading anything.
• Then she was leading all the women, praising God for His mighty act of deliverance.
• Think about Miriam's life - she was the sister of Moses who knew something was special about her brother.
• For 80 years she had been watching what God was doing and seeing her brother as the central figure in their deliverance.
• She was 87 when she led these women - because of what she had experienced she was now leading from the INSIDE-OUT!
• The essence of true leadership comes from within - it's simply the outpouring of who you are.
• Miriam never lost sight of God all those years, and when her faith intersected with God's faithfulness she burst into leadership!
• When you lead from the heart like Miriam there's no such thing as burnout because you've experienced it for yourself.
Six Traits of a Good Leader
April 15, 2021 • Benham Brothers
* Good leadership is good followship.
* You know a good leader by the one he is following.
* Joshua was a good leader because he was a faithful follower - of God and Moses.
* Backstory - the Israelites had just repented of their sin (Achan) and made it right.
* Now it was time to fight again (use their mistake for their benefit).
* This was the first battle that involved typical military strategy.
* So how did Joshua lead them? Notice six things:
* 1) He was with the people (vs 9) - Just like Jesus, he didn’t elevate himself above them (Judas w/the kiss).
* God makes clear in Scripture that He is “with” us (the best thing you can say to someone).
* 2) He was in the valley (vs 13) - if things were bad with the people then he’d be right there with him.
* Psalms 23:4 - “Though I walk thru the valley of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
* 3) He listened for God (vs 18a) - he paid attention to God’s voice.
* 4) He obeyed God (vs 18b & vs 29) - when he heard God’s command, he obeyed without question.
* 5) He built an altar (vs 30) - he had an attitude of reverence to God, a heart of worship.
* 6) He elevated Scripture (vs 34) - he elevated God’s Word above all and made sure everyone heard it. Specifically the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28 (George Washington).
Fit for Leadership
February 5, 2015 • Benham Brothers
Joshua led the army into battle and he fought valiently.
His reward? He became the personal apprentice of Moses.
Later he became the leader of the Israelites.
What fit Joshua to lead the Israelites?
1) He was faithful in his place of responsibility.
He followed Moses up the mountain, be faithful in his place of responsibility as an assistant.
In Exodus 33:11 he stood outside the tent, faithful in his post, while Moses was inside conversing with God.
He was in a posture of "waiting."
Authority then followed Joshua wherever he went because he was in his place of responsibility.
2) He had first-hand experience in the presence of God!
As Moses' assistant, he was able to go up the mountain with Moses when God told everyone else to stay back.
He got a chance to experience God's presence in a way nobody else did.
3) He was willing to go to war! He was a warrior. He didn't shy away from the battle.
We then see Joshua being only one of two people who gave a good report about taking the promised land.
When everyone else saw Giants too big to fight he saw Giants too big to miss.
Because of being in God's presence, he stood when others didn't and he fought when others couldn't (because the other spies died).
Notice who wasn't in the camp in Ex 32 when they made the golden calf - Joshua!
When he heard them celebrating he thought it was a war that had broke out - he was a warrior who was ready to fight.
How you see things reveals the nature that's inside you. What do you see?
If we are to engage in the battle we must:
1) Be faithful in our place of responsibility.
2) Remain in the presence of God.
3) Have a warrior spirit - just like a dad when his kid is threatened.
All of this equipped Joshua to lead.
Shepherd Leader
March 9, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* Notice the type of leader Moses asked God for so they would inherit the Promised Land.
* He was asking for a man with a shepherd’s heart.
* What does a shepherd do?
* He guides sheep where they should go and protects them when they are under threat.
* A shepherd is like a good dad.
* To take the Promised Land it would involve war, so Moses wanted a warrior for a leader.
* Today, it’s the same way - every person has their own promised land.
* 1 Corinthians 4:15 - Paul is saying we don’t have “Joshua” leaders much anymore.
* You don’t want a teacher leading you into battle.
* Joshua is an OT picture of Christ.
When Leaders Need to Step Down
February 28, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* John Maxwell - “The best leaders hand the baton off at top speed.”
* Look at how the priesthood was run.
* On the front end they had to be mature enough to handle the mantle of leadership - 25 years old.
* On the bak end they had to be mature enough to hand it off - 50 years old.
* In this way the older would train the younger.
* The priest had 25 years to serve before his responsibility moved toward mentorship.
Leadership 101
October 15, 2020 • Benham Brothers
* What does it take to be a good leader?
* Paul shares with Timothy the qualifications of a person who could run a church.
* The same qualifications needed to run a non-profit are what are needed to run a for-profit.
* Vs 1-7 - Paul splits his advice into what the leaders SHOULD BE and what they SHOULDN’T BE.
* Here’s what they need to be (vs 2, 4, 5, 7):
* 1) Above reproach (vs 2) - he’s blameless, without having anything in his life that could bring shame to the church. (Like a businessman meeting a woman for biz lunch alone)
* 2) Faithful to his wife (vs 2) - literal translation, “a one-woman man.” His marriage shows you the kind of person he is.
* 3) Temperate (vs 2) - he’s even-keeled. He doesn’t get out of sorts when poop hits the fan. Keeps a cool head (like the gazelle running from a cheetah - it’s brain stays cooler than the cheetah, so he can outrun it).
* 4) Self-controlled (vs 2) - he’s in charge of his Emotions and Appetites. He manages what he feels and controls what he wants.
* 5) Disciplined (vs 2) - the NIV says “respectable,” but the Passion Version says “living a disciplined life.” Discipline leads to delight.
* 6) Hospitable (vs 2) - he likes people and is willing to share what he has with others. Hospital people allow others full access to themselves. They consider their thing your thing.
* 7) Able to Teach (vs 2) - he is able to divulge what he digests. A teacher does the mental heavy lifting for you to process more easily (like Tori pureeing food for our kids).
* 8) Manage his family well (vs 4-5) - your ability as a parent shows more about you than anything else. Your kids obey from the heart, not out of being controlled.
* 9) Worthy of respect (vs 7) - needs a good reputation. He needs to live a life that others admire, even if they don’t agree with him. They respect his stand.
* Here’s what he can’t be (vs 3, 6):
* 1) Given to drunkenness (vs 3) - he’s gotta be able to control his appetite, especially for things that can intoxicate.
* 2) Violent (vs 3) - he’s got to be gentle, not easily riled-up and explosive with his words and deeds. Prov 16:32 - One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty… (Samson)
* 3) Quarrelsome (vs 3) - he can’t be easily agitated, always ready to fight. He must operate out of a position of confidence, not insecurity.
* 4) A lover of money (vs 3) - money can’t have a grip on him. He’s got to be able to see people as people, not dollar signs. He finds his security in God.
* 5) Not a recent convert (vs 6) - he can’t be someone who wants too much influence too fast. He’s gotta be patient to grow slow.
Leadership Grid
April 19, 2018 • Benham Brothers
* Samson had just killed 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey.
* So he sang a song in his own honor.
* He killed 1k men but couldn’t kill his own thirst.
* God was humbling him.
* This is a great picture of the distinction between what is vital and what is urgent.
* Samson did what was urgent but neglected what was vital, and it almost cost him his life.
* Urgent things are about tasks - getting stuff done.
* Vital things are about life - sustaining and enhancing life.
* We need to prioritize what’s vital over what’s urgent.
* EX: It’s urgent I teach this lesson - it’s a task that needs to be done by a certain time.
* But it’s vital that I use the bathroom regularly.
* If I forsake what’s vital I cannot complete what’s urgent.
* KEY - what’s vital is rarely urgent, but when it is it’s often too late.
* If Samson didn’t drink he would die (vital), and if he died he could no longer fight (urgent).
* side note - Relationships are never urgent - they are vital.
